Innehållsförteckning för No 250 October 2017 från NZ Performance Car

On around this day 250 months ago our publisher, Greg Vincent, sent the very first issue of New Zealand Performance Car magazine off to the printer from our humble little garden-shed-like headquarters, the place where Parkside Media all began. It’s a pretty massive milestone in the publishing world for any magazine to click over a number so big, one that very few magazines make it to [insert generic internet comment here]. Why is PCar still pumping? What it all boils down to is YOU, and the guy next to you at the servo reading this very page. Without our loyal readership we would be nothing, so thank you from all of us here at NZPC. Those past 20 plus years have made for a big journey not only for the…

World Rallycross Championship series promoter IMG Motorsport has confirmed that it is working alongside manufacturers and the FIA on changes that would see the introduction of electric power plants into the mixed-surface discipline — and the switch could be seen as early as 2020. But you can wipe the sweat and that angry expression off your face, as, so far, there is no intention to do away with the current top-tier Supercar class, as cars of the electric persuasion will run in a separate category. “We’re in discussions about what format the concept might take, what the cars will be like and where it will sit in the World RX weekend,” World Rallycross managing director Paul Bellamy said. The concept has been floating around for a while, with backing from…

NAC team driver Cole Armstrong has certainly not been resting since his championship win last year; in fact, he’s been working non-stop between New Zealand and China, where the 350GT is currently located. Competition in China has been a steep learning curve for Cole, both in terms of car set-up and driver style to suit the automated D1 Original Scoring (DOS) system: “It’s completely different to the way we drive here. You’ll throw huge angle in the first corner and then run an almost grip line to the next corner, where you’ll throw in huge angle again. It throws off anyone that comes over and tries to compete, but it’s good, I’m growing my driving skills and it will help me back in New Zealand.” With the 350GT remaining in…

HEART ENGINE: HKS RB28DETT, 2800cc, six-cylinder BLOCK: Nissan R34 N1 RB26DETT; HKS 2.8-litre Step 3 full counterweight billet crankshaft, rods, and pistons; Tomei oversized oil pump; Tomei eight-litre baffled sump; Accusump oil accumulator HEAD: Kelford Cams CNC-ported RB26DETT, Kelford Cams 292-degree 11.5mm lift drag cams, 1mm oversized race valves and springs, titanium retainers, bronze guides INTAKE: GReddy intake manifold, factory individual throttle bodies, Trust Airinx filters, custom intake piping, GReddy twin-entry drag intercooler EXHAUST: BNR Engineering three-inch mild steel exhaust, BNR Engineering three-inch downpipes, A’PEXi N1 twin mufflers, Adrenalin R resonators TURBO: Twin GReddy TD06-20G, Turbo Care machined housings and billet internals, GReddy twin-turbo, top-mount exhaust manifold WASTEGATE: Turbosmart Pro-Gate 60mm BOV: TiAL Q 50mm FUEL: Bosch 2200cc injectors, Sard fuel-pressure regulator, Aeroflow dual-entry fuel rail, Speedflow E85 lines and…

Cast your mind back to the early days of New Zealand import drag racing, and you may remember a matt black KE70 that ran into the 10s at Meremere with a female in the driver’s seat. Well, this isn’t the same car, obviously, but the driver, Gina Bullians, is that female. A veteran of import drag racing here in New Zealand, Gina moved to Aussie in 2011 and soon after began campaigning the Mazsport Racing three-quarter chassis FD RX-7. A full steel car, with glass windscreen and factory rear wing, the 20B machine was a beast to drive, especially when stepping up from a 10-second street car. SHOES WHEELS: (F) 15x3.5-inch Billet Specialties Comp 5 spindle-mount, (R) 16x16.5-inch Billet Specialties Comp 5 double-bead-locker TYRES: (F) Mickey Thompson Front Runner, (R)…

Clicking over massive milestones like 250 issues of NZ Performance Car always makes for a good chance to flick back through the archives, relive some of the old feature cars that really stood out, and celebrate our rich heritage. Some of those cars are still around today, while others disappeared into the back of sheds or, sadly, down a ditch. Some were cover cars, and others were tucked away in the back pages, but each still shone bright in my eyes. Long before I was in the hot seat, I was reading the magazine from cover to cover to keep up with the scene in New Zealand. Some of these cars I’ve never seen in the flesh, while others I photographed, wrote about, and rode in, but each and every…

There’s a new player on the New Zealand car audio market, one that’s locally designed and taking the market by storm. It’s cutting out the middleman who has been taking money directly from our wallets for years. Zeroflex is the brainchild of Kiwi Richard Addis, who has been around the game since 2002 building high-end custom demo cars, and working with some of the biggest names in the business. For the last 15 years Rich has lived and breathed car audio, and the fact that he’s started designing and manufacturing products was really just a natural progression, although one that most distributors in New Zealand never take. Upon returning to New Zealand after working overseas Rich saw what was available locally, and decided he could design and build a far…

PERIODIC CROWN The effort to maintain a car’s character, integrity, and vintage can see you dive into depths otherwise unknown to most who have spun a spanner. Matt Field’s example, a New Zealand new 1971 Toyota Crown MS65 comes with a story about chasing only the very best, and succeeding at it. The body has been repainted in a late-model Toyota dark metallic green colour code, although it looks as if it could have been an option back in ’71, while the interior was converted to a factory black, with coupe tacho, dash, and steering wheel. The ride height has been adjusted via a set of compressed springs, and it sits over a set of 14x8-inch Center Line wheels — the plan is to replace these with a set of…

WHEELS / TYRES MAGS, TYRES, WHEEL ALIGNMENTS, WHEEL BALANCING, AND REPAIRS AUCKLAND MTS PERFORMANCE Lowest price guaranteed on wheels, tyres, and suspension mtsp.co.nz / 021 4 TYRES (021 489 737) / 82 Wairau Road, Glenfield ARROW WHEELS NZ’s leading builder, repairer, refurbisher of alloy wheels for 35 years arrowwheels.co.nz / 09 818 8388 / 6D Westech Place, Kelston, Auckland BRUGAR ENGINEERING Mag wheel repair specialists since 1979 magwheelrepairs.co.nz / 09 486 6832 / 7 Barrys Point Road, Takapuna, Auckland WAIKATO WORLD OF TYRES Hamilton’s leading retailer of tyres, wheels, batteries, and wheel alignment servicing worldoftyres.co.nz / 07 847 0330 / 62 Greenwood Street, Frankton, Hamilton TARANAKI TARANAKI TYRETORQUE LTD Taranaki’s leading tyre/mag specialist, providing automotive services and customization tyretorque.co.nz / 06 757 5988 / 53 Molesworth St, New Plymouth WELLINGTON…

I’ve noticed two things during this issue’s print cycle. The first is that even though whispers online would like to suggest otherwise, this glorious community of ours is really thriving again. What I mean by that is that the next generation is starting to embrace what has been happening in New Zealand for the better part of a century — modifying cars. As tastes come and go, there will be some who look down on what the fresher generation is doing and even go so far as to claim that it is ruining the traditions of old. The reality of this is that we all like different things, and we don’t actually have to like everything out there, but sending negative vibes towards a particular person or car based solely…

As announcements for the 2017 World Time Attack Challenge (WTAC) continue to roll in the closer we get to its October 13–14 dates, the urge to jet across the ditch to Sydney becomes impossible for many folk to ignore. If you slot into this category, and your plane tickets have been booked, then listen up, as we have a little something to sweeten the deal for two lucky buggers — a double VIP lounge pass. Each pass is valued at A$249 and will give you access to a VIP lounge located directly over the pit garages; a special VIP rooftop viewing platform; morning tea and lunch catering for the two days; and best of all, air conditioning and VIP parking. All you need to do is head to themotorhood.com, where…

If you attended the V 4&Rotary Nationals earlier this year, you’ll have seen Robbie Ward hit the wall hard at about half track in ‘MGAWOT III’, in a very serious accident. We won’t go into full details of the injuries that Robbie sustained, but you can probably guess that it wasn’t good, given how hard he hit the wall. That spelled the end of the season for the team as Robbie went into full recovery mode, and the shop was forced to take an extra-long summer break. He said, “On doctor’s orders, I have not been allowed to work or drive. I’ve been in and out of hospital several times and undergone a myriad of tests and assessments, all of which are now showing positive results with the view that…

“No one said coming to The Salt was [going to be] easy.” says Reg Cook. The CMR team can confirm it isn’t after the first three shake-down runs with its 2.0-litre V8-powered NS-X coupé ended with gremlins found in the car. First the ECU cut out, then bonnet scoop flew sky high, and finally the exhaust blew off. A top speed of 185mph (297.7kph) was recorded, heart-breakingly close to the 2000cc/ Gas Comp Coupe record. Then the following two runs saw the first gearbox “Chernobyled”, as Reg puts it, and the spare the team transplanted just didn’t want to play ball. That no doubt made for a disappointing end to Speed Week, as the team had to retire the car until the upcoming USAFRA meeting. On the other hand the…

For a fresh-faced teenager with a strong passion for all things automotive, the idea of spinning spanners and gripping a welding gun for a living probably sounds like the perfect way to fill your pockets with a few bucks — and, depending on who you ask, it is. But it usually comes with a catch or two that’ll have unforeseen side effects on your own build, and anyone in the industry will tell you that you’ll either wash the crud off your permanently stained hands and head home at the end of the day, only to avoid the garage at all costs because you can’t possibly face the idea of looking at the half-finished project you aren’t getting paid to work on, or you’ll drop the roller door at work…

HEART ENGINE: Mazda S5 13B, twin rotor, 1300cc BLOCK: Stage two ported plates, extra dowels, balanced rotating assembly, modified oil system, baffled sump INTAKE: S5 manifold, S5 throttle body, custom intercooler EXHAUST: Three-inch exhaust, single rear muffler TURBO: Garrett TO4E WASTEGATE: Turbosmart Progate 48 FUEL: Bosch 044, Carter lift pump IGNITION: Bosch coils, Magnecor leads ECU: Microtech LT10s COOLING: Alloy radiator, RX-4 oil cooler EXTRA: GFB boost tap, deloomed, Jaz catch can DRIVE GEARBOX: FC RX-7, five-speed CLUTCH: Heavy-duty Carbotic single plate FLYWHEEL: Chromoly DIFF: Ford Falcon SUPPORT STRUTS: (F) Koni shocks, (R) leaf sprung BRAKES: (F) 300ZX calipers and rotors, (R) Ford Falcon calipers and rotors, A Street customs hydro handbrake EXTRA: Tube crossmember, modified chassis WHEN THE COUPE ARRIVED FROM AUSSIE IT RAN ON TINY 215S, WHICH DID…

Here at the office, we like to do things properly, but, unfortunately, not everyone else shares the same approach, and that can lead to some whack information floating around the place that is outright incorrect. Getting it right is especially important when you’re dealing with slammed cars that still want to retain some form of driveability. We can’t all be experts in every field, and some things are best left up to those that are — at the very least, we should look to their advice. It seems that no field of expertise is more prone to misinformation than suspension set-ups. Ask any two people, and you’re likely to get a completely different answer based on two very different experiences. There are not many specializing in suspension design left kicking…

NAME: HEINO WENDZICH // AGE: 25 LOCATION: AUCKLAND // OCCUPATION: DIRECTOR, AUTOSTANCE NZ Performance Car : Hi, Heino. How’d you come to own your E28? Heino: Hey. I’ve owned a few BMWs over the years and a couple of E30s, but always liked the shark-nose fronts and grilles on the C-pillars, etc. So, I kept an eye out for one and found this down in Christchurch in good condition. It’s very clearly not at stock height any more — what’s the go there? It’s on bags. No one does bags any more, I’m not sure why, and I really wanted to lay frame in it and spark while driving down the road. We did the install ourselves at Autostance, in collaboration with GT Refinishers. They are made from BC Gold…

NAME: JOHN FRANICH // AGE: 28 LOCATION: AUCKLAND // OCCUPATION: PANEL SHOP FOREMAN NZ Performance Car: Hi, John. TE71s are precious metal these days, how’d you score yours? John: Hey, guys. I bought the car off my dad (Dave Franich) as an unfinished project about six or seven years ago. He picked it up in the early ‘00s with plans of running it in the Targa and had started converting it to a 302ci Ford Windsor V8. While that was happening it had all the rust repaired, the fire wall cut to set the V8 back in the car, as well as the chassis strengthened to allow for the extra horsepower. That ended up getting sidelined and the motor went into his XY Falcon, with the Trueno getting a 3T-GTE…

If you have an event you’d like to see in the Gig Guide, mail editor@performancecar.co.nz with all the details STREET FIGHTERS 2017: EVO VS WRX BRUCE MCLAREN MOTORSPORT PARK SEPTEMBER 2 It’s time to settle the battle that’s lasted decades: Evo versus WRX — which is the truly better platform? Hosted by the team at Choice Events, this one will take place on Taupo’s Track One (full track) and will encompass cruising, drags, burnouts/helis, race car sessions, and a show ’n’ shine. While the event is predominantly aimed at Evos and WRXs, the team will accept entries for any Subaru or Mitsi — Libero, Forester, GSR, B4, or otherwise. Entry is set at $220 prepaid, or $280 on the gate — spectators will be $20. Check out choiceevents.co.nz for more…

GET YOUR DAILY NEWS FIX ONLINE: themotorhood.com Attention, drag racing fans! Break out the permanent markers and wall planners, because the 2017–’18 NZDRA calendar dates have been announced, including those of the NZDRA National Series. Covering a range of tracks as far north as Tokoroa and as far south as Motueka, the series features some of New Zealand’s fastest drag cars, including top import machines. Further information can be found online at nzdra.co.nz.…

New Zealand’s leading signage supplier, Computaleta, teamed up with 3M earlier this year to create the 2017 3M All Wraps Challenge with the goal of finding New Zealand’s best installer. The prize for the winning shop was an all-expenses-paid trip to Las Vegas for the SEMA Show, and the comp saw entries flooding in, over 50 of them in total, covering 2000 man hours poured into custom wraps applied in locations all over New Zealand, using only 3M Wrap Film products. Three judges, including our own editor, were then tasked with finding the top 10 and overall winner for 2017. That lucky installer will be announced later this year, when we will go into detail about the winning vehicle. Meanwhile, you can find a gallery of all the entries on…

Following the announcement of a new structure for D1NZ this coming season, the dates have been locked in and fresh venues and tracks added to the calendar. Season kick-off has moved to January 11–13, and, for the first time ever, the season opener will be in Wellington. That venue will be the first of the permanent drifting facilities we spoke about with Brendon White back in Issue No. 248. A track will be built inside the Wellington Family Speedway oval, and, for D1NZ, there will be the small addition of a banked corner added: “The track will be [in] two parts. The centre track will stay year round and be used for learner days, testing, driver training, and much more; it will be a place for locals and enthusiasts to…

Project cars — most of us have a love-hate relationship with what are essentially our grandest dreams embodied in metal shapes either sitting in the shed or rotting on the driveway. While it’s all fun and games to undertake any project and get your teeth stuck in, the reality is that it’s going to take three times longer than you expect, and you’re generally going to be missing out on a ton of fun that your mates are having during that time. You’re forced to ride scrub in their cars, dreaming of the day that you, too, can join in, knowing all too well the mammoth task that awaits you at home. Fritz Leaning is no stranger to building cars; he’s had his fair share over the years, all with…

Utter the word ‘Chrome’ in a crowded room and watch anyone who has ever sat behind the wheel of a remotely modified car click to attention. It’s perhaps the second biggest event of the year, with the first being the team’s other staple, the 4&Rotary Nationals. And, goddamn, was 2017 a huge year for Chrome. Saturday was buzzing, and, as the weekend went on, it quickly became apparent that Chrome isn’t solely about the cars — even though, at the end of the day, that’s what we were all getting our jollies over — but more about soaking in the vibes. Whether that was blasting Biggie Smalls and packing all the boys into your car before chopping through the gears out of pit lane, slapping a fresh pair of tyres…

Rich from Engine Specialties, the man tasked with building Darren Kelly’s new race engine, was quick to point out that there is a huge difference between built race engines like the one he was about to get underway when we first talked to him, and a motor pieced together in the shed at home. He certainly wasn’t kidding, as we found out. Over the next few issues, we will follow the extensive process of building an RB34 for Darren’s Nissan R35 ahead of the 2018 D1NZ season. The engine is based on a RB30E block with a Pure Performance (PPM) 3400cc stroker kit and an RB26 head. A stroked RB was always the goal for the R35, but time constraints forced the use of an already-built RB30 for its debut…

Importing a car to our shores is far from an unheard of, and, with our pretty-relaxed laws, you can bring almost anything you like to New Zealand and get it onto our roads one way or another. The hard part is knowing what to do and how to do it. Unless you have good contacts and a fluent understanding of Japanese, you may find yourself out of your depth — and that is exactly the gap Peter McPhail and Leon Scott wanted to fill after the sale of the previous business, Redline Performance. When they started NZ Motorsport Imports, the pair put their combined 50 years of experience and knowledge to work to create the most comprehensive performance-car yard operating today. They specialize in custom orders, and that allows you…

GET LOADED Seeking ace sound components when space is a worry and you still want to be able to load the boot up with parts purchases? The Kicker compRT Loaded Enclosure range can give you surprisingly strong, smooth bass in a box that’s under 178mm deep. They’re built tough, with a deep black carpet covering thick wood that incorporates internal bracing for proper durability. A single amp connection later, and you’re pumpin’. For further information, contact your local stockist by visiting kicker.com. FRESH AIR Keeping grot out of your intake is a must, which is probably why the first thing that gets modified on a car is its intake. The Aeroflow range of pod filters is manufactured from high-temp polyurethane material that ensures the filter will not dry and crack…

NAME: DANIEL HEAPHY // AGE: 24 LOCATION: AUCKLAND // OCCUPATION: SALES AT BNT NZ Performance Car : Hi, Daniel. How did you wind up owning the MX-5, and what led to modifying it? Daniel: Hey. I got into cars when I was 16 or 17, did a couple of track days, and kept wanting to go a little bit faster. My first car was a ’98 nana-spec Toyota Starlet, which barely had a stock part left on it. I saw an MX-5 and wanted to get my hands on one, which I did, and, within two weeks, I [had taken] … it to a beginners drift day to see what it could do — that led me to buying an upgraded clutch and proper LSD [limited-slip differential]. This is technically…